Happy Birthday - Django Reinhardt

[Eddie Sheehy]

Thanks for the reminder, Scott.

[journeybear]

If only he had played mandolin ...

It would very likely be a different world now. Perhaps Stephane did. Anyone know?

Meanwhile, here is a pic from the link Scott posted. Something a bit different is being played by the fellow on the left, someone named Gusti Malha. It's hard to see what it is, but he seems to have been known mostly for playing banjo.

[Jim Garber]

Django also played banjo -- there are early recordings of his playing musette tunes. I would not be at all surprised if he played some mandolin as well. FWIW here is a lightened up version of that photo. I have a feeling that the hawaiian guitar is a Gelas split-top one tho it is hard to see. Django's guitar looks rather small, doesn't it?

[journeybear]

So to mark the occasion, I suggested to the other members of the cajun-country-bluegrass band we do a number, namely the only one I know, "Minor Swing." The pedal steel player said he loves Django, was fine with the idea. The singer guitarist likes to throw an instrumental in the middle of a set to rest her voice, so this seemed like a good idea. Well, after we finished the first song of the second set, the singer said, "Go ahead and do your tribute." I hadn't had a chance to say anything to the bass player yet, but, anyway ... So I said "Minor Swing." She said, "What key?" I said, "Am," and explained the chord pattern to the guitarist. Off we went ... into the wilderness. The guitarist was lost before I had finished the intro figure, and the pedal steel player had nothing. Very odd, since he was the first one I had asked, and received encouragement, and furthermore, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of not only songs but arrangements, intros, all kinds of stuff, gleaned from decades of touring. But each time I finished a round and tried to hand it off to him - nothing. Didn't even try. I tried calling the chords as I went along, but even this didn't help. It really is a three chord number - the way I know it anyway. After a few times around it seemed best to wrap it up, and didn't chance ending with the intro, just got it to the Am and held it. People clapped, but it was a real train wreck. Oh well. Should have insisted on a run-through first. Oh well! It was at least improvisational.

[paul dirac]

Just came in to recommend a fun little doc on the Django scene in France called " Life After Django Reinhardt". It's on Netflix.

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Li...hardt/70217591

[Django Fret]

[QUOTE=journeybear;1125810]If only he had played mandolin ...

It would very likely be a different world now. Perhaps Stephane did. Anyone know?

[stevenmando]

There was a movie that i just saw it was called Midnight in Paris Woddy Alan and there was a piece of music played on the guitar and i was wondering if that piece of music was by Django Reinhardt , would love to know what piece of music it was so if anyone out there in mando land knows the piece that i am writing about please let me know and it you have the music that would be great and if it is written for mandolin that would even be greater much thanks from hooked on gyspy jazz .

[Eddie Sheehy]

Bistro Fada - Stephane Wrembel.

[Ryk Loske]

I'm a couple of days late for this ...... but "the wind beneath Djangos wings" .... his brother .. Joseph was born March 1, 1912. Happy belated birthday Nin-Nin.

Jim Garber is 2 strings off from being right on about Jean's (Djangos) starting instrument ... it was a six string banjo~guitar. But i STILL can't play Jim's chord!!!

Ryk

[DSDarr]

There was a movie that i just saw it was called Midnight in Paris Woddy Alan and there was a piece of music played on the guitar and i was wondering if that piece of music was by Django Reinhardt , would love to know what piece of music it was so if anyone out there in mando land knows the piece that i am writing about please let me know and it you have the music that would be great and if it is written for mandolin that would even be greater much thanks from hooked on gyspy jazz .

The tune is "Bistro Fada" by Stephane Wrembel. There is a guitar version (with standard notation and guitar tab) in the current issue of "Flatpicking Guitar". I've never seen it written out in mando tab but would love to get a version of that too. Beautiful piece...

David

[Al Bergstein]

Scott they must have pulled down your video. Here's a version that will play. I'm sure the folks who had danced the Charleston just a few years before wondered WTF?! While his stuff still eludes me, I still love it all the same. Long live DR.


[QUOTE=Scott Tichenor;620270]Born today, January 23, 1910.

[Scott Tichenor]

I think we need a bit of Django on the anniversary of the day he left us in 1953. This video has embedding disabled so will have to just leave a link:

http://youtu.be/_fc3hffDNr8?t=2m24s

[Mandolin Cafe]

Been awhile since we've wished the lad a happy birthday!

[BillWilliams]

Django in Montmartre in May looks promising.
3 days aimed at guitarists and violinists but should be of interest for mandolin also.
https://djangoamontmartre.com/

[JEStanek]

A good day yo rewatch the Triplets of Bellville as Django is cameoed in the opening sequence.

Jamie